Football is a team sport that performs best when one guy is standing on business: QB1. In the Year of our Lord 2025, a returning quarterback is a rare thing, with only five programs (Arkansas State, Old Dominion, Georgia Southern, ULM and Georgia State) bringing back a well-practiced hand (depending on health, James Madison may be a sixth). Who’s leading the offensive huddle in the Sun Belt this season. Most coaches keep that quiet until game day. We have guesses anyway.

Appalachian State Mountaineers: AJ Swan

New head coach Dowell Loggains brought in a big pile of guys to rotate at quarterback, including Southern Miss transfer Billy Wiles and Iowa State transfer JJ Kohl, who at 6’7″ is literally difficult to overlook. But our money is on LSU transfer AJ Swan, a 6’2″ redshirt junior. Before backing up Garrett Nussmeier in 2024, Swan made a dozen appearances for Vanderbilt, making six starts as a freshman and throwing for 1,274 yards as a true freshman. In Swann, Loggains has a game-experienced hand with reliable tangibles.

Over His Shoulder: JJ Kohl

Arkansas State Red Wolves: Jalen Raynor

Raynor is the rarest of rare in the Sun Belt: a starting QB entering his third season with the team. After a stellar freshman campaign (2,550 passing yards, 17 passing TDs), the multi-faceted Raynor turned in a solid but not spectacular sophomore season (2,783 passing yards, 16 passing TDs). Rest assured, his position at QB1 is set in titanium. But Raynor is not without some competition, with redshirt freshman Josh Flowers raising eyebrows in practice, and the multi-tooled Southern Miss transfer Ethan Crawford coming in huddle-ready after seeing action in 8 games for the Golden Eagles last year.

Over His Shoulder: Ethan Crawford

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: Tad Hudson

Grayson McCall isn’t walking through those doors! Well, actually Grayson McCall is walking through Coastal’s door – as an assistant. That leaves some very new names to actually manage the rock in Conway. We know that San Jose State transfer Emmett Brown is out of the running after sustaining a season ending injury. That may leave Redshirt sophomore Tad Hudson as the best man standing. Hudson received his first dose of playing time last year in a 44-15 loss to Texas-San Antonio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, firing a pair of TDs and completing 17 of 26 passes. Maryland transfer MJ Morris is also a contender, who has more game experience.

Over His Shoulder: MJ Morris

UPDATE: MJ Morris, a former 3-star prospect, has been given the starting nod for the opener, though Coach Beck has indicated that all three of his QBs will likely see action.

Georgia Southern Eagles: JC French

It’s been a new quarterback every season ever since Clay Helton landed in Statesboro. This year, Eagles fans are treated to a dash of consistency when French returns to lead the offensive huddle. French (6’1″ 200) delivered a fine season last year (2,831 passing yards, 17 passing TDs), and according to his coach, he’s doubled dedicated himself to building a bullet-resistant body to outlast the rigors of the season. Does French have any sideline pressure? The head coach’s son, Turner Helton, arrives from Western Kentucky as a three-star transfer with a little game-time experience.

Over His Shoulder: Tuner Helton

Georgia State Panthers: Christian Veilleux 

Georgia State ping-ponged between Zach Gibson and Veilleux all season last year, but Veilleux was largely more productive (2,047 yards 13 Ts) and was the architect of the win over Vanderbilt. However, Veilleux was prone to picks, throwing thirteen in limited action. Has he shaken his gambling tendencies? Second year head coach Dell McGee likely hopes so, counting on a big year between his QB1 and star wide receiver Ted Hurst. Challenging Veilleux, Texas Tech two-tool threat Cameron Brown, a former Gulf South Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year who was primarily used as a run threat by the Red Raiders.

Over His Shoulder: Cameron Brown

James Madison Dukes: Alonza Barnett III

Is he healthy? Barnett sustained a knee injury during the 2024 regular season finale against Marshall, which is not ideal considering Barnett produced 2,598 yards, 24 TDs and an astonishing low four interceptions. If Barnett is good-to-go, it’s hard to envision a SBC leaderboard without JMU standing atop of it. But what if Barnett is still rehabbing? Matthew Sluka, the transfer from ULNV is intriguing. You might remember Sluka transferring out of Vegas after dialing up 571 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns in just three starts.

Over His Shoulder: Matt Sluka

Louisiana Ragin Cajuns: Walker Howard

It’s hard to disqualify Howard on intangibles: before joining Ole Miss as a freshman, and then transferring to LSU, Howard was rated as the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat QB by ESPN and listed No. 5 by 247Sports. He’s also a Lafayette native who was a high school legend in Louisiana. Can Howard finally find his niche as a Cajun? Meanwhile, Coach Michael Desormeaux has some options if Howard is still finding himself. There are a few freshmen and redshirt freshmen in the mix, but a sophomore with team experience is the awesomely monikered Lunch Winfield, who is likely ready to eat after spending the majority of 2024 injured.

Over His Shoulder: Lunch Winfield

Marshall Thundering Herd: Zion Turner

New head coach Tony Gibson arrived to Huntington to a bare pantry and the usual high expectations from the Thundering fan base. Among the many positions Gibson is tasked with filling is quarterback – does he go with a talented youngster or a more practiced hand? Gibson won’t make an announcement until a week before game one, but we’re thinking Zion Turner, the junior transfer from Jacksonville State. Turner didn’t see much action as a Gamecock, but he served as UCONN’s starter in 2022, leading the team to a Myrtle Beach Bowl. If Gibson launches a youth movement, it will likely be 3-star recruit JacQai Long, the redshirt freshman and West Virginia native.

Over His Shoulder: JacQai Long

EDIT: Marshall named Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, a three-star recruit who transferred from Florida, as the starter.

Old Dominion Monarchs: Colton Joseph

There’s no mystery in Norfolk; Rickie Rahne is rolling with last year’s wunderkind Colton Joseph. All he did last season was score 22 touchdowns: 11 throwing and 11 rushing. You can’t buy that kind of balance at Costco. Rahne does have an intriguing Plan B in Quinn Heinicle, who torched Arkansas State in the season finale for 206 rushing yards – tied for the most yards by a Sun Belt player in 2024. While Joseph is the clear cut starter, there isn’t much drop-off with Heincicle behind center.

Over His Shoulder: Quinn Heinicle

South Alabama Jaguars: Bishop Davenport

A former three-star recruit by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com, Bishop might have been the starter last season had he not made the cardinal sin of sharing an offense with Gio Lopez. Davenport did lead the Jags to a bowl win over Western Michigan last year by throwing a pair of TDs. He has an arm, and he has wheels, and that will be more than enough for head coach Major Applewhite to work with. Providing intrigue is Georgia Tech transfer and former four-star prospect Zach Pyron, who used his 6’3″ 230 frame to pound in six rushing touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets.

Over His Shoulder: Zach Pyron

Southern Miss Golden Eagles: Braylon Braxton

New head coach Charles Huff didn’t ship Braxton from Huntington to Hattiesburg just to play blackjack in Biloxi. Braxton, the preseason SBC Offensive Player of the Year, led the Thundering Herd by accounting for 23 total touchdowns and hand-delivering a Sun Belt championship to Marshall. Nothing less is expected from him by Southern Miss, who look to at least double their win total from last year. Standing patiently behind Braxton? Your guess is as good as ours. We’re guessing 6’3″ 230 transfer from Boston College Jacobe Robinson, a former ESPN 4-star recruit looking to find his niche in Hattiesburg.

Over His Shoulder: Jacobe Robinson

Texas State Bobcats: Brad Jackson

It could be anyone of nearly half a dozen guys for head coach GJ Kinne to pick, but the redshirt freshman Brad Jackson might have the inside track. Jackson has a smattering of Bobcats experience behind center, and has looked good in practice. Another guy competing for the job: Keldric Luster, a transfer from SMU and former three star prospect. Also, don’t discount Auburn transfer Holden Geriner, a former 4-star prospect looking to find his footing in San Marcos.

Over His Shoulder: Keldric Luster or Holden Geriner

Troy Trojans: Goose Crowder

The Goose was set to be loose last season, but injuries sidelined the 6’2″ West Virginia transfer for the majority of the year. However, he did last long throw a 98-yard touchdown pass to Devonte Ross, the longest play in Troy’s DI history and second longest in program history, so the potential and expectations are there. Waiting just in case somebody plucks Crowder’s feathers: Tucker Kilkrease, whose name sounds like an assassin’s! Kilkrease started games for head coach Gerad Parker against Texas State and South Alabama.

Over His Shoulder: Tucker Kilkrease

ULM Warhawks: Aidan Armenta

Armenta appeared in all 12 games last year, assumed starting quarterback duties in week five versus James Madison – against whom he notched an upset victory. If head coach Bryant Vincent is to make the Warhawks competitive this season, he’ll need Armenta to improve on his 1,292 yards passing and nine touchdowns. Pushing the sophomore to greatness is 6’5″, 230 senior Hunter Herring, a transfer from the rival Cajuns who, among other things, blocked a punt for ULM last season.

Over His Shoulder: Hunter Herring

IMAGES: courtesy of Sun Belt Media